Going Back
by The Stargazing Psalmist
Summary: It's been a month or so after the battle with Pitch. With the Nightmare King gone, the children of the world's belief in the Guardians is stronger than ever. All is right with the world...except for Jack Frost. With his memories having been returned, the Spirit of Winter's been out of it as he's begun to really ponder his past life, the life he lost 300 years ago...
1. Retrospective

**I randomly thought of this. What if Jack went back into his past? **

**I absolutely adore Jack and his sister. Really wish they had talked about it more in the movie, but oh well. That's what fanfics are for! Hahaha.**

**Soooo yeah. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the characters in the following story. (WAAAAAAHHH T_T)**

**Summary: It's been a month or so after the battle with Pitch. With the Nightmare King gone, the children of the world's belief in the Guardians is stronger than ever. All is right with the world...except for Jack Frost. With his memories having been returned, the Spirit of Winter's been out of it as he's begun to really ponder his past life, the life he lost 300 years ago. What happens when North provides a way for Jack to go back, to see his family again?**

A snowflake dances on the tips of his pale fingers before being flicked away and dispersing into cold, powdery dust. He's been thinking a lot lately, about his past.

Regaining his memory was exhilarating, like a huge blast of the coldest wind. He _finally_ figured out the why he was here, but that's when Pitch was still around, and the threat of the Nightmare King still loomed over the world. There wasn't any time to further ponder his past life.

Now here he is, sitting next to a window with his knees drawn to his chest and his blue, frost-covered hood pulled over his head. It's a world of white outside, a never-ending blizzard whipping around. This is the North Pole, after all.

A shattering crash startles and makes him quickly turn his head in time to see a very upset North storming over and scolding the quirky elves for knocking over one of his toy ice sculptures. The elves run around in a frenzy to escape North's wrath, the bells on their pointy red hats jingling like crazy. He chuckles lightly through his nose and shakes his head before turning back to the window.

He sighs, causing frost to blossom over the surface of the glass in intricate floral patterns. It's upsetting in all honesty. He remembers it all. The hearty laugh of his dad. The warm embrace of his mom. His sister...His little sister and her big, bright smile... He remembers how much he loved all of them.

Yeah, it's pretty depressing.

He recalls the moment he fell through the ice, and his sister frantically calling out for him. Yeah, he's more than happy about the fact that she lived on. But it sucks thinking about how much grief his family had to go through. The pain of losing someone you love, someone close to you... He relates it to when Sandy was pierced by Pitch's arrow, and the feeling of utter dread and loss that shot through his heart. He remembers how painful it was to lose the beloved Sandman. But it's different, because Sandy came back, fully intact and good as new. His sister never saw him again, and he'll never see her again, or any of his family again.

It's been more than 300 years. His family is long gone, so thinking about all this really doesn't matter now. Even so, he still can't help but..._miss_ them and want to see them again, even if it's just for a little while...

"Jack?"

A small hand touches his shoulder. Jack turns and sees a lot of blue and green, then Tooth's face when he looks up. The fairy's hovering over him, her normally sparkling amethyst eyes filled with concern as she peers down at his currently gloomy-looking state. Baby Tooth flutters out from behind her. Jack laughs as the mini fairy flies around in front of his face, although she looks just as worried, squeaking quietly. Tooth utters his name again.

"Huh? O-oh, hey, Tooth." Jack removes his hood and straightens out his long legs. Darn it, he doesn't want Tooth of all people seeing him like this. He tries to quickly clear his mind of his angst, but manages only a half-hearted smile at the Guardian of Memories. "What's up?"

The worry in her gaze only deepens. Before she can say anything, Bunny hops up from behind her. The large grey rabbit rises on his hind legs and folds his arms over his chest, staring down at Jack with an eyebrow arched.

"Y'seem pretty down in the dumps lately, mate," he says, his pink nose twitching. "Kinda strange seeing you this still and quiet for more than a few minutes, let alone a few days."

Tooth casts her eyes down to the floor and removes her hand from his shoulder, timidly grabbing it with her other hand and holding both to her feathery chest. Baby Tooth flies forward, landing on Jack's shoulder, silently gazing up at him. Jack looks back and forth between the two Guardians, unsure of what to say. North and Sandy, who'd been floating peacefully and sleeping next to North's desk, join in, their expressions also those of concern. Feeling uncomfortable, Jack laughs awkwardly and stands, grabbing his trusty staff that's been leaning against the wall. Baby Tooth with a chirp floats off his shoulder and returns to Tooth's side.

"Look, guys, I'm fine," he says. "I guess...I'm just not use to being a Guardian just yet, you know? I'm a little tired."

They just look at him, and that's all Jack needs to know they're not buying it.

Bunny sighs.

"Listen, mate. We're here to help," the rabbit says, waving one of his paws.

"Bunny is right," North grunts. The big, Russian Guardian of Wonder strolls over and places one of his beefy hands on Jack's shoulder. His voice softens. "Now tell us. What bothers you?"

Jack looks up at him. His mouth opens slightly, then closes with hesitation. His blue eyes avert themselves to the floor, his train of thought unsure and uncomfortable. Then he looks up again and scans over the other Guardians' concerned faces. It's when his gaze lands on Tooth, and her almost pleading amethyst eyes, that he sighs in defeat.

"Look I...I've been thinking a lot about...About my family," he confesses, slowly rocking his staff back and forth. "I...I know it doesn't matter now since it's been like 300 years and all...But...I miss them, you know? I wish I could see them again, even if it's just for a little while."

Silence falls, and it's awkward. Jack opens his mouth to try and say more, to get rid of the awkwardness, but nothing comes out. So he just bites his lower lip, nervously looking up at North. Sandy and Bunny exchange glances. Tooth remains quiet, thinking to herself.

After a while, Jack laughs and moves away from North. "It's not a big deal, I know...Kinda silly, really, right?"

He hops onto North's desk and sits, propping his bare feet against his staff. Jack shoots them all a grin. "I'll be okay."

More silence.

North looks at Jack for a while, then makes an expression of deep contemplation, lifting a hand to slowly stroke his thick beard. What he says next makes Jack's eyebrows raise.

"No. Not silly at all."

Jack blinks. "What?"

North lets out a deep chuckle. "Jack Frost, you say missing your family is silly? Of course not! That is normal, to miss your family, no?"

Jack stares at North with wide eyes. "Um...W-well I guess-"

"Aha!" North exclaims, making everyone jump at the loudness of his sharp, Russian accent. "Idea!"

North makes his way over to a towering wooden cabinet, nearly running Bunnymund, and several elves, over. He pulls it open and begins to rummage through whatever's inside, mumbling to himself in Russian. Jack jumps off the desk and walks over, eyeing North curiously. What is he up to?

"Ah, here it is!" The Guardian of Wonders comes out of the cabinet with one of his snow globes. He stomps back over to Jack and tosses it into the winter spirit's hands. Jack looks at it, then at North, confused.

"It's...one of your snow globes," he says. "And what does this have to do with my family?"

"Look closer," North replies, crossing his arms with a knowing smile.

Jack gives the Guardian a skeptical look, but does what he says. He scans over the lustrous glass sphere, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until he sees the mysterious object's wooden bottom. His mouth opens slightly.

Clocks of every shape and size have been inlaid and carved into the wood, circling all around the snow globe's base. Almost every other snow globe Jack has seen has had the same gold and red pattern. Tooth hovers over to get a look at the apparently different globe, then gasps, making Jack look up at her questionably.

"N-north...," she says, one of her small hands pressed against her lips in shock. "This...This is..."

Baby Tooth hovers over the transparent sphere, squeaking in surprise and exchanging a look with Tooth.

North nods, but Jack's only more perplexed.

"W-what is it?" he asks.

Bunny hops closer, studying the snow globe. His ears perk up, and he looks at Jack. "It's a time globe."

Sandy forms a ticking clock over his head.

"A _time_ globe?" Jack repeats. A thought crosses his mind, and he looks at North. His heart is suddenly pounding in his chest. "S-so what...Does it..." He can't get the words out, fearing he might be wrong.

North smiles and steps forward, putting a finger on the globe's cool surface. "This globe is very special. Time globe. Lets you go back into past."

Something lights up in Jack's chest.

_Go back...into the past._

"Y-you're...You're kidding, right?" Jack just looks at the globe like it's a rabbit with eight legs or something, his grip on it subconsciously tightening.

"No joke," North replies. Then his expression softens. "It is my last one."

That makes Jack look up at the Russian, eyebrows raised. "Your...last one? You had more?"

North nods. He points at the globe in Jack's hands and looks at the Guardian of Fun intently.

"This globe...is for one-time use only. But not only for globe itself, but for you."

When Jack continues to stare at North, the Guardian explains further.

"You use the globe to go back in time, and come back, globe vanishes forever. And you..." North's big blue eyes meet Jack's. "You will not be able to use another time globe again. Ever."

Jack's mouth falls open. He blinks and gazes back down at the shiny, clear object. Words can't explain the excitement and happiness coursing through his chilly veins, but at the same time...

"S-so...I only have one shot?" he voices quietly.

Tooth answers, her tone just as solemn. "Yes. And...And there's a limit. You can't stay in the past for more than a day, or else..."

Jack looks at her when she trails off, and doesn't miss her gloomy expression. "Or else...what?"

"You'll disappear, mate," Bunny answers bluntly, arms crossed and his green eyes cast to the floor. He shuts them with a deep sigh. "You'll vanish and be erased. Forever."

The thought makes Jack shiver, which literally never happens. Disappear? Forever?

Jack glances around, looking at each Guardian. Something crosses his mind for a second, something Tooth told him.

_"We were all somebody before we were chosen..."_

The other Guardians have been around way longer than he has. They have past lives with families that they've long outlived.

"Did all of you use time globes?" he asks.

Sandy, the oldest one in the bunch, gazes off, his golden eyes becoming glassy and distant as if deep in thought. A tiny smile forms on Tooth's pink lips as she looks down at Baby Tooth perched in her hands, her thumbs gently stroking the mini fairy's single golden feather that matches her own. Bunny remains still, though his eyes flicker for a moment.

"Jack."

The winter spirit looks up as North once again places a hand on his shoulder. The Guardian of Wonders smiles down at him warmly, the same smile that's always made Jack feel comfortable.

"We all felt same way," he says. "Longing to visit the past, even if just for a moment. And we did!" North swings his other hand out in a big, hearty gesture. He looks at the other Guardians, who are returning North's smile. "And that...was all we needed."

Tooth's smile widens and she flutters over to Jack. She touches the globe with one of her tiny hands and looks at Jack.

"It's only for a little while," she says. "But it's worth it, Jack. It really is."

Jack returns her gaze, his mind racing, his heart pounding. He could really do it. This is his chance to see them again, his family. His sister...

"Alright, tell me how to work this thing," Jack jokingly demands.

North grins. "It is like other snow globes. Clear mind, and think. Think of place you desire to return to."

Jack nods, and inhales a deep breath, shutting his eyes and concentrating. A picture begins to paint itself in his mind, an image of a small village with wooden houses and huts and small fires...His home.

"Now throw it!" North's voice cuts through his thoughts.

Jack opens his eyes and sees the image of the village enclosed within the globe. He bites his lower lip and chucks the globe into the air. The glass sphere begins to twist and, with a startling exploding noise, bursts into a vortex of color and light. The elves and yetis look at the vibrant swirling in awe.

A smile breaks across Jack's features, reflecting the anticipation boiling in his gut. He steps forward, then halts, feeling a little hesitant. He nervously looks over his shoulder at the other Guardians. Sandy and Bunny both nod with assuring grins. Tooth laughs and gestures with her hands for him to go forward.

"Go on, Jack Frost!" North bellows.

Confidence restored, Jack smiles back with a nod. He faces the bright whirling passage before him. With a deep breath, he grips his staff and runs into the mixture.

**Eh. I try my best, okay? I'd love to hear of what you all think. Hope it didn't bore you too much. And if you haven't noticed(which I can't blame you for...it's not really emphasized or anything here), I ship Rainbow Snowcone so hard, like OMG. Ehem. Anyway, thanks for reading, stay tuned, and God bless!**


	2. Reunion

For the longest time he was traveling rapidly through a tunnel of sparkling and swirling lights and colors. Jack kept his eyes ahead, his gaze locked on the single dot of white light at the very end. Gritting his teeth, he pushed on, a force within the vortex hitting his face and whipping his white hair around. The white light grew almost blinding, and with a startled cry he covered his eyes with one arm. He felt his weight shift and his body twist upward. Suddenly he was plowing face-first into a dirt ground, stopping when his head smacked into a wooden cart.

Jack laid there in lethargy before groggily and dizzily propping himself up on his elbows. He rubbed his nose and forehead with a groan of pain and sat up. After pulling himself back together, he glanced around and found his staff lying a few feet away. Rushing over, he quickly collected the precious staff in his hands. He instinctively inspected the delicate object, the memory of Pitch breaking it in two flashing through his mind. When he didn't see any cracks or splinters, he sighed in relief.

"Jeez, wish these globes didn't spit you out like that," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair and down the back of his aching neck. He took a small step back, his ankle bumping into the wooden cart he'd hit. The cart was filled with a pile of hay. Jack's eyes trailed along the ground until he was looking ahead in front of him. His eyes widened and he felt his breathing hitch as nostalgia struck him, filling his senses.

Small wooden houses with thatched roofing where huddled close together within the boundaries of short wooden fences overcrowded with tall grass and plants and a few crops here and there. Little girls in dresses and boys wearing brown trousers that resembled his own frolicked about, playing games and chasing one another around the homes and through the forests that surrounded the village. Dogs barked. Horses and ponies clopped around, eating hay or being ridden on. On the far side on the left, Jack could see a women drawing water out of a well. On the other side, a few men were boiling something over a fire. A breeze swept through, ruffling Jack's hair and bring with it a familiar scent. The scent of burning wood...Grass...

He inhaled, memories flickering across his mind so quickly he couldn't register them all. Then he saw in the distance a familiar road that led to a familiar pond. An incredulous laugh left his lips.

This was Burgess three hundred years ago. This was home.

A squeak behind his ear caught his attention.

"Huh?"

Jack raised a hand to the crook of his neck and felt around until he poked something soft and feathery under the fold of his hood. He looked down to see a familiar little fairy crawling out from under his hood and onto his shoulder, her tiny head rotating slightly in a lightheaded fashion.

"Baby Tooth?" he said, gently taking the fairy into his hand. He looked down in surprise and confusion. "W-what are you doing here?"

The fairy simply shook her head to clear her dizziness. Then she smiled, chirping happily, and Jack couldn't help but grin. He placed her back on his shoulder. Nothing wrong with a little company. Besides, he enjoyed carrying her around anyway, especially all that they'd been through together with Pitch and all.

Jack looked ahead. There was a smooth dirt road leading right into the town from where he was standing. He started to feel nervous, but then remembered.

_No one...Will see me so..._ Then Jack frowned. Even if he could see his family again, would they see him?

Baby Tooth gently pecked his cheek. He glanced down at the fairy, who chirped and beamed at him, encouraging him to go on. Jack chuckled, his anxiety diminishing. He really did owe the little fairy for always helping him.

He faced forward, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly. One step forward, then another, Baby Tooth egging him on, until he was cautiously walking into the old Burgess. A few kids raced towards him, screaming and shouting. Jack immediately stopped, flinching away and bracing himself, but the kids passed right through him. Jack breathed in deeply, clutching his stomach with a scowl. After 300 years, he was kind of use to it, but the feeling of something going right through you was still sickening and unnerving. Thankfully, though, that didn't happen as much anymore in his time. He remembered Jamie's hug and smiled.

Jack watched the children jump into mountains of hay, laughing and pushing each other. He glanced around. Everyone was busy doing their own thing. Feeding animals...Cooking...Socializing...

Where was his family?

As he strolled deeper into the town, he began to recognize faces, names manifesting in his mind to match. Memories continued to pour into his head, flashing right before his eyes like an endless film roll. Jack stopped walking, feeling a little overwhelmed by the nostalgic flow. He rubbed his fingers against his forehead and sighed. Then a particular memory eased its way in, and Jack's eyes widened.

He suddenly knew the path he was on. He suddenly knew for a fact that he was going the wrong way.

Jack turned around and hurried off in the opposite direction before making a quick left around a shed. He was certain of where he was going now, his past knowledge of the area returning. He stepped through a gap in a fence and make his way through thick, tall grass. It was a shortcut to his house, a way into the nearby woods.

The grass began to shorten as he neared the trees. He could spot out a few more houses here and there. He stopped.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself. He looked at his staff, rolling his eyes at his own forgetfulness. Jack raised the staff before bringing the bottom down onto the earth. A pathway of ice immediately built itself over the land, reaching all the way into the woods. It was a short distance, but why walk when he could slide? And so he did.

"Hang on, Baby Tooth!" Jack hopped onto the trail and started surfing the ice, cheering as he went. Baby Tooth squealed, grasping his hood and batting her wings excitedly. Jack couldn't help but snicker at the confused civilians who where wondering where on Earth the ice had come from.

The path finally ended, stopping a towering tree. Jack stepped off the ice and gazed into the forest. He nearly dropped his staff.

There is was. Sitting right across from where he was standing, right at the entrance way to a path that led to the pond.

It was his house. _His_ house, small and made of wood like all the others, but so special as he looked on.

Jack's heart began to race as he stepped forward. He swallowed, drawing closer and closer. More memories came crashing back, memories of his parents and his sister and all her little friends. They whirled in his mind like a wild tornado, pounding him over and over in bursts of voices and pictures.

Next thing he knew he was right in front of the door. Jack gasped and shook his head. The wood was a soft brown, and without a lot of scratches or cracks. Just like he remembered. Jack looked up, taking in the sight of his home, before looking back at the door, finding it memorizing. His hand lifted, slowly moving forward. His fingers where inches away before someone pulled the door open.

Jack gasped and retracted. Then he looked up, and his heart almost stopped.

Her short brown hair was so fresh in his mind. Everything about her. The soft features of her round face...Her warm smiles...The love in her eyes...

"M..." He wasn't use to saying it anymore but... "M-mom?"

He started to smile, then stopped. She was looking right through him. She couldn't see him. That and...she just looked so sad. The eyes he recalled weren't present, instead all he saw where two black circles, dull and filled with grief. There were heavy bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for days. She was painfully thin, way thinner than in his memories. Her hair was a mess. Her mouth was hanging open slightly as she stared passed him and off into nothing. She looked...awful.

Jack felt his heart constrict.

"Mom?" he said, his voice breaking. "Mom? What's wrong?" He wasn't thinking about the fact she couldn't see him. Why did she look like this? Who was this women who was the polar opposite of the bright one he'd seen in his memories?

"Mom...Mom!" He raised his voice, staring into her lifeless eyes. He wanted to run into her arms, to feel her warm embrace again. She looked down and rubbed her eyes. She stepped out of the house, passing through him. Jack felt needles piercing his heart. Again. And again. He spun around and leaped into the hair, landing in front of her. He knew it was pointless but he still just wanted her to _look_ at him.

"M-mom...Mother..."

His only answer was a blank stare. His heart raced faster. He was about to call her again, but another familiar voice intervened.

"Dear."

Jack looked around his mom and back at the house. His heart leaped, his icy blue eyes growing wider. It was his dad, tall and hairy. His facial features where also creased and marred with depression. Jack's eyes followed his dad as he stepped out of the house and made his way to his wife's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. His dad's eyes narrowed, as if he were in pain. Then he shook his head and looked at Jack's mom.

"Dear...," he said, his voice no where near the joyful and heart tone Jack remembered. Seeing both of his parents for the first time in over three hundred years...Seeing them like _this_ was too much.

Jack squeezed his staff, unaware of the frost seeping out from under his feet and feeling utterly hopeless as he stared at his crestfallen parents. But they didn't seem to notice the sudden ice on the ground, either. His mom shivered, and Jack immediately backed away. Her trembling arms wrapped around her, her face wrinkling even more with discomfort and sadness.

Jack frowned deeply, his heart aching. He wanted to reach out, to touch them and let them know he was alright, that he was standing right in front of them.

But he knew he couldn't, and it hurt.

"Where's Emma?" his mom quietly asked, voice hoarse and broken. Jack's eyelids jumped at the mention of his sister. His dad gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"She went to the pond," his dad solemnly replied. He sighed. "She's been there since this morning."

_The pond..._

Jack turned towards the pathway next to his house, the very road he and Emma had traveled up to skate and play on the frozen pond. The day he...

He cringed, not wanting to finish the thought.

Baby Tooth poked out from his hood. She looked sad, her pink and blue eyes glowing with concern for Jack. The winter spirit gave her a slight smile, gently petting her head with his finger.

"My sister's at the pond," he said, gazing back at the dirt path. Then he looked back down at Baby Tooth and grinned. "Why don't we go see her?"

Baby Tooth chirped with a small beam and nodded.

Jack returned the gesture, then looked at his parents. He watched his mom turn around and move into his dad's chest, and she started to cry. A tear slipped from his dad as well, raising his arms to hug his wife close.

"I miss him so much...," she sobbed.

"Me, too, Dear," his dad said, his face getting wetter and wetter. "Me, too."

Jack stilled. That's right...He was...He had just...

_I'm...I'm right here. I'm right in front of you._ He stepped forward, raising a hand, intent on touching his mom's cheek. So close, but then...Nothing. His fingers slipped right through her skin, as if he'd done nothing but wave his hand through the air.

A despondent, fractured breath escaped his cold lips. He took several unsteady steps back, almost tripping over rock. Jack just stared for a while, taking in his parents and their pitiful faces and their crying.

It _sucked_.

Something wet rolled down Jack's cheek. His hand shot up and smacked his face, startled by the sudden feeling. But more of it came rushing down his face, until it dripped off his chin.

Jack frowned and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He held his arm over his eyes, the fabric of his hoodie soaking up his tears.

The last time he'd cried was because of Jamie, because he had been the first person to see him in over three hundred years. Tears of joy, short-lived because of Pitch and everything. And now...The tears weren't stopping. No one could see him, yet again. Not even his own parents. He couldn't reach out to them. Nothing. It just...

Something probed his cheek.

Jack lowered his arm and looked down at Baby Tooth, the mini fairy a tiny blob of colors because of his moist eyes. He blinked the tears away. Baby Tooth gazed at him anxiously, then glanced off somewhere else. She flitted her blue and pink eyes back to Jack before gesturing with her small head towards the pathway to the pond. She chirped.

Jack raised his eyebrows, somehow perfectly understanding her.

_Go see your sister, Jack._

He looked back at his parents, longingly, then sighed heavily.

"I'm...I'm sorry," he whispered, watching them not hearing him. He didn't care, though. Jack held out his hand again, hovering it right next to his mom's cheek, just barely close enough to touch her. He gnawed on his lower lip, unsure of what to say...Not that it mattered since they couldn't hear him but...

"Mom...Dad..." Jack watched as they held each other tighter, lost in their heartache. Another tear slid down Jack's face. "I'm alright now. I have really...really cool friends. They're kinda like a family to me now and they care about me and...so...don't cry."

Jack raised his staff, concentrating. A jolt of blue wormed its way through the spirals and curves of the rough wood and shot out of the crook. Snowflakes burst from the blast, bits of snow beginning to rain down.

His parents both looked up in utter shock, bewildered by the snow that literally came out of no where. His mom through her head towards the sky. Not a cloud in sight.

"Wha...What...," she began, pulling away from her husband and holding out her hands so that her palms were open, catching the fluttering bits of ice. Her dull eyes widened, brightening a little in awe at the snow mysteriously falling from...from wherever.

Jack was already traveling up the road towards the pond. He paused, glancing back at his mom and dad, both of them gazing astonished at Jack's little trick. He smiled sadly.

"Love you guys...and thanks for everything."

One last look. And then he was off.

* * *

The road wasn't long. A few minutes of walking, and he could see a hill. The pond was right over it.

Jack slowed his pace, taking a moment to observe his surroundings. Birds flittered about in the trees, streams of sunlight shining through gaps between their thin branches. The ground was soft, the dirt and soil grainy between his toes. Kids were laughing somewhere, a few screaming from all the fun they were having.

Jack coughed, pulling at the front of his hoodie. Baby Tooth squeaked, her expression questioning.

"It's a little too warm for my taste," he said. He grinned down at her. "But it's alright. This is nothing compared to where you live."

Baby Tooth crossed her tiny arms, her expression conveying, _Well it's Southeast Asia. What do you expect?_

Jack laughed.

They moved over the hill, and there it was. The pond, still somewhat frozen.

And then...there she was.

Jack stopped where he was, staring at her.

She was wearing another one of her plain but pretty brown dresses, the ones mom would make just for her, this one trimmed with light blue and a floral design. Her brown hair had gotten longer, flowing over her shoulders and down her back. She was sitting at the pond's edge, knees pulled into her small frame, her eyes gazing out across the pond's surface.

Jack slowly moved closer, examining her face. There were frightening bags beneath her eyes. Her eyes...They looked like his mom's. Striped of life. Filled with despair and grief and loss.

How many times would Jack's heart break?

When he reached the pond's edge, he bent down to her level, silently studying her. His mind was at war with itself, clashing between feeling overjoyed or dejected.

"E...Emma...," he choked out, swallowing. Could she see him? Probably not. No, she couldn't because...

Jack's eyes widened when Emma's chin rose slightly off her knees. She turned her head, her blackened eyes looking straight at him.

**Sorry it took so long! Next chapter will be the last. Let me know what you think. I apologize if I suck at describing things...Ugh, I try. =_= But whatever. Anyway, hope you liked it! Hugs and kisses~ God bless!**


	3. A Cold Spirit

It felt like everything else disappeared. Baby Tooth…The pond…The echoing laughter of children…All that existed was Emma and her coal-black eyes. Jack shuddered a little, disturbed at just how..._dark _they were, considering how big and sparkling and beautiful he remembered them being.

He stared back, his heart racing and his fingers twitching. She looking right in his direction. Jack swallowed again, clearing his throat before uttering her name a second time.

"Emma...Can...Can you hear me?" Jack's hand lifted as he asked, reaching for her. His heart dropped when his hand went right through her face. Emma's eyes averted back to the pond. She suddenly jumped and hugged herself, her eyelids sliding shut as she trembled. Jack looked down and saw the frost creeping out from under his feet, making its way towards Emma.

He frowned and shuffled back a bit. Her shivering eased. Emma's eyebrows knitted together as she glanced around. The wind hadn't blown or anything, so she wasn't sure where the cold had come from. Jack couldn't help but breath a small laugh through his nose. Memories of his time with her flashed across his mind. Him giving her piggyback rides all over the town. Brushing her soft hair, and also messing it up to make her mad. Tickling her when she was feeling down. Chasing off other kids who would pick on her. Scaring and annoying and teasing her with his various pranks and tricks. And the way she'd tug his hand and drag him wherever she wanted to go.

Jack felt his eyes begin to well up again, but shook his head. Something else in his recollection dug its way to the front of his mind, something he'd rather not think about. He was pulling his sister away from the rapidly cracking ice. The ice was giving way, and he was falling through, feeling as if a thousand knives were being thrown at his body from all sides, all at once. Emma was crying out for him. Water was pouring into his lungs and...

Jack gritted his teeth, moving a hand to clutch his aching forehead. His grip on his staff tightened, his knuckles turning impossibly whiter. Baby Tooth looked at him worriedly, chirping and squeaking. When the pain subsided, Jack breathed heavily and looked back up at Emma. She hadn't moved, her gaze still fixed on the pond. Something told Jack she was definitely thinking about it, too, the ordeal replaying over and over in her delicate mind. He saw a tear slide down her cheek, and he immediately made a move to wipe it away.

But, of course, that didn't work out.

Jack sat down, not knowing what to do. He didn't think his heart could take anymore. Not being able to be seen by his own family, his family that was hurting and sad and mourning. Unable to reach out, to let them know he was alright, that he was here. It was like three hundred years ago all over again, but more depressing. Because...he remembered everything.

The little fairy on his shoulder jumped up and flew in front of his face. She looked at him questionably, as if confused about why he was just sitting there with a long face.

Jack sighed.

"What can I do, Baby Tooth?" he asked, a little exasperated. "They...They can't see me, okay?" Jack sadly looked at Emma. "_She_ can't see me. Can't hear me. What am I suppose to do?"

His words hung in the air. Baby Tooth looked unfazed by his irritated tone. Jack watched as she fluttered over to his staff, landing gracefully on the curve of the crook. Jack raised his eyebrows. Baby Tooth smiled softly, bending down and placing a tiny hand on the wood.

For a minute, Jack just stared. His heart slowed, suddenly beating, not with anxiety and frustration, but with renewed hope. The next thing he knew, a wide grin was stretching across his face, a laugh escaping his pale lips.

Of course...How could he be so stupid?

"Yeah...," he breathed, rising to his feet. He held his staff with both hands, gripping it with confidence. Baby Tooth's face lit up, clearly elated at his brightened mood. Jack smiled. "Thanks, Baby Tooth. Really."

He looked down at Emma, then out at the pond. His eyes narrowed. No more moping.

"We're...gonna have a little _fun _instead."

With that, Jack turned his head upward. A thought occurred to him. Would the wind listen to him? He was pretty sure the old Man in the Moon hadn't pulled him out of the pond just yet. But it was worth a shot.

"Hey, Wind!" he hollered. It was still, and Jack's face dropped a little. Then, there was faint howl, and a calm gust flew into the area. Emma looked up, startled by the sudden breeze. Jack laughed out loud, raising a hand in the air and feeling the wind rush through his fingers. Baby Tooth squealed and hid under his hood.

The gust blew through Jack's hair, hitting his face. It was extremely faint, but he could hear a voice, vague and distant, laced with the current.

_Who are you?_

Jack grinned. "I'm...I'm Jack Frost. I'm uh..." How was he suppose to say this? "I'm...from the future. If that makes any sense..."

The wind blew a little harder, and Jack could tell it was confused.

_The future? How can that be?_

_"_Well, do you know who North is? Nicholas St. North?"

Wisps of air circled around Jack, curious and questioning.

_Yes. I know him._

"I...I used one of his time globes. I'm from three hundred years from now."

The wind didn't say anything. Jack felt a little nervous. Maybe it didn't believe him?

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I promise...Ah!"

A stronger gust struck Jack head on, nearly knocking him off his feet. The wind was wrapping itself around him, intrigued.

_Why do call upon me?_

Jack shook his head, recovering from the blow. He grinned upward.

"We're friends, Wind. In the future, anyway. Really good friends."

_Are we?_ The wind picked up again for a second.

"Yeah, that's right," Jack replied with a nod. "So...do you believe me?"

It blew around, apparently contemplating.

_You call upon me so casually. And...Your garment is strange._

Jack glanced down and chuckled at how it was referring to his blue hoodie.

"It's what all the kids wear in the future," he stated.

_It it? How odd._

The wind began to calm, reverting to a soft breeze.

_Jack Frost. What is it you need from me?_

Jack grinned. "Could you give me a lift?" He gestured towards the pond with his staff. "I'm gonna work a little magic on the pond. But I need your help."

His hair was flung all around as the wind picked up. The gust gradually intensified, and Jack could feel the soles of his bare feet lift ever so slightly. He glanced at Emma, who had curled up tighter to shield herself from the wind. Jack gripped his staff. The wind whispered to him.

_Very well...my friend._

"Wooohooo!" Jack yelled as the wind swept him into the air. Relaxing, he twisted his body, feeling the course of the moving gusts, allowing himself to be as light as snowflake. Not that he was heavy...being a spirit and all.

_You ride my currents with such ease._

Jack smirked. "Of course. Like I said, we're friends. I'm use to it!"

He shot higher into the air until the entire village was in view. Floating, he gazed down, swinging his staff. A shock vibrated along the length of the wood, and Jack could feel the cold and ice ready to burst from within it. Jack dove back down, swiping at the trees around the pond with his staff, covering their branches with ice. He flew over the surface of the partially frozen pond, creating a fresh coating of ice. Jack cheerfully spun around and around, sweeping the crook of his staff over the surface, frosty swirls and flowers blooming across the ice. He swung his staff with more force, a wave of cold striking rocks and bushes, covering them with more ice.

Emma was shocked out of her fetal position, falling back on the palms of her hands. Her mouth fell open at the phenomenon occurring right before her eyes. She watched the frost patterns spread across the surface of the pond. Snow began to fall from the sky despite the lack of of clouds. The wind was powerful, whipping around snowflakes. The trees were suddenly covered with white.

Jack looked down at her with amusement. He smiled softly.

"Wind, take me down to her," he mildly commanded.

_As you wish._

He felt the currents arch downward, and Jack dove. He landed gracefully in front of Emma, who was entirely captivated, but also confused, by the snow. She steadily got to her feet, looking around in an almost fearful manner.

Jack frowned.

Even if...Even if his parents couldn't see him, Jack needed Emma to. Besides, he remembered what North once told him. That only children could see Guardians. Meaning his mom and dad were, sadly, out of the question from the beginning. But Emma was still a kid so... She would see him. She _needed _to see him.

But how?

Jack racked his brain for ideas, anxiously scratching his chin. And then...

"Maybe that'll work...," he said, snapping his fingers. He looked over at Baby Tooth. The fairy waited to hear what he had in mind, but Jack just grinned. He wasn't sure if what he was planning would really make her see him, but it was worth a shot. He was willing to try anything.

Raising his staff, Jack closed his eyes, focusing on pouring cold energy into the wood. Then he brought it down, the bottom of the staff smacking against the surface of the frozen pond. Frost exploded across the ice.

Emma gasped and jumped back. She was getting more and more freaked out.

"W-what's...going on?" she asked, her voice shaking. She hugged herself, shivering from the cold. Where in the world was all this snow coming from? The last snow had come weeks ago, before the beginning the spring.

She gazed down at the intricate frost patterns swirling across the surface of the pond. An ounce of fear crept into her. Was...was it a ghost maybe? She'd heard stories like that before. Spirits so powerful they could conjure up storms and winds.

Emma hugged herself tighter, feeling colder and colder, as if the chill air was intentionally moving closer to her. Now that she thought about it, the sudden change of weather didn't at all feel like a natural occurrence. It was happening way too fast, almost skillfully and with intent.

The thought frightened her, but maybe...it really was a...

Jack was standing right in front of her now, looking down at his brunette sister with tender eyes. She couldn't see him. He frowned, seeing that all he did was scare her.

He watched her brown eyes flicker around nervously as she trembled from his cold presence. A wave of hopelessness suddenly washed over him, and he felt like he was drowning again. Only this was worse. Deep down he knew nothing would work. Nothing he did would make her see him.

It was those agonizing 300 years all over again. Of Jack trying _everything, _and nobody seeing him. Being unable to reach out to anyone.

He stared at his sister, taking in her small frame. Her soft eyes. Her long brown hair. Her laughter echoed in his mind. Her smile flashed across his eyes.

Baby Tooth chirped, and Jack understood that she was asking if he was okay. He glanced at the small fairy on his shoulder. All he could offer was a mirthless smile.

"Maybe...This is enough," he said. "Seeing her again. That's all I really wanted anyway." Jack looked back at Emma. "To see her."

A small, genuine smile tugged at his lips as he looked at her. Yeah... He understood what the other Guardians meant. This was enough.

Jack raised his staff and twirled it around, causing more snow to whirl in the air around Emma. Her head snapped upward, her eyes fixed on the rotating snowflakes.

And then...

"H-h-hello?"

Jack froze.

Emma cupped her hands over her mouth, breathing into her palms and rubbing them together to warm herself. Then she swallowed and said it again.

"H-hello? Is...Is someone there?" Her voice was shaking, small and scared.

"Yes!" Jack immediately blurted out, his eyes going wide. His heart started racing a mile a minute. Baby Tooth actually jumped at his outburst. "Yes, yes! I-I'm here, Emma!"

But she didn't respond to him, and only continued to stare up at the snow. Jack clutched his staff, and subconsciously sent more frost growing across the pond.

Emma's gaze quickly averted down, hearing the frost and seeing it crawl along the frozen water.

"Is this...Are you...?" Emma clutched her hands to her chest. She hesitated, thinking over her words. "Are...you a spirit of cold?"

Jack blinked. A spirit of cold?

Suddenly something sparked in his head, another memory.

_He could see him and Emma sitting with friends around a fire, telling stories of ghosts and spirits in hushed tones. Emma clung to Jack's shirt, snuggling into him. She looked up at him, her eyes anxious._

_"J-jack, are there really spirits and ghosts like that?" she asked. "That can even control the weather?"_

_Jack chuckled, pressing his lips against her forehead. Then he grinned slyly. _

_"There just might be," he said in a haunting voice, and Emma scrunched up her face. Jack laughed, then hugged her close. "But don't worry. I'll protect you from any bad spirit."_

The memory faded like a screen of mist, his and Emma's voices trailing off out of the depths of his mind.

He stared at his sister, his thought process racing. She thought a spirit was here.

Jack glanced down at himself, his pale hands, his staff. Well...she wasn't wrong.

He looked at her, then back at his staff. He gripped it tightly. Maybe...

Jack swung his staff, causing a a strip of ground to be frozen solid. Emma jumped, shuffling away from the ice. Her eyes nervously scanned around her, then she composed herself, eyeing the sky.

"I-if it's a spirit, do that again!" she said, a little more boldly.

Something lit up in Jack's chest.

He eagerly waved his staff again, this time creating an elaborate pattern of ice on the ground. Emma watched with amazement as a giant snowflake was suddenly set into the earth beneath her feet, made entirely out of frost that had appeared out of thing air!_  
_

"It is...!" she gasp-whispered to herself. She found herself smiling, _laughing_, down at the ice picture beneath her. It was remarkable! The spirit had responded to her and-

Emma looked in front of her. And screamed bloody murder, stumbling back and falling down on her rear.

Jack almost jumped out of skin, and he instinctively whirled around, surveying behind him for whatever made his sister scream. He held his staff, ready to attack and protect her, but then...

"W-w-who are y-you?"

Jack stilled. Everything slowed down again. Everything else became nonexistent.

Then slowly, very slowly, he turned his head back to Emma. She was looking up in his direction, her gaze flickering with fear and confusion. But it was locked on him, where he was standing over her.

Jack turned around completely, lowering his staff. He blinked once. Twice. Three times. His mouth fell open. He swallowed.

"C-can...you see me?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her.

Emma didn't answer at first. She re-positioned herself, tucking her legs up underneath her. She gazed up cautiously at the boy that had mysteriously manifested out of nowhere, right in front of her!

He had snow white hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. He was barefoot, his skin so...so _pale._ He was wearing brown trousers, but what was his top, blue garment? She'd never seen something like it. And why was he holding a giant stick with a crook?

"Um..Um..." Emma tried to find words as she was oddly captivated by the strange boy. "A-are you...the spirit?" He had to be, with his white hair and white complexion. "Did you make all this snow?"

Jack's eyes widened, and happiness swelled in his chest. She could s_ee _him! She could hear him!

Joy bubbled in the pit of Jack's stomach, threatening to explode out of him. But he had to restrain himself from doing a back flip in the air like he had when Jamie first saw him. He didn't want to freak Emma out more than he already was. So he took a deep breath instead, sporting a small smile.

"Yeah-uh...Yes, I did," he said, kneeling down to her level. He frowned at the way she scooted further away from him. He raised a hand towards her. "Hey, don't be scared. I'm not gonna hurt you, Emma..."

"H-how do you know my name?" she questioned, keeping her distance. On the inside, though, it was odd. This boy, this _spirit,_ felt so...so familiar. Something about it him tugged at Emma's heart.

Jack's gladness was short-lived. He could feel it already draining out of him as Emma continued to look at him like he was a total stranger. Well, he _did_ look pretty different now, but still!

"Emma...Don't you recognize me?" Jack gestured to himself, patting his chest with his hand. "I-it's...It's me, Emma."

Emma raised a brow, and then found herself analyzing him. And the more she did, the harder the invisible strings in her heart pulled. She took in every detail, the shape of his face, and his face itself. She leaned forward, looking closer at his eyes and the messiness of his hair. And for some reason, she pictured him as a brunette, with brown hair instead of white, and with brown eyes instead of blue.

She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Jack watched anxiously as her eyes began to water. He didn't move a muscle as she tentatively reached a hand out towards him and brushed her fingers against his skin was cold, but Emma imagined it being as warm as a summer breeze.

"J.._.Jack?"_

**Umm...This was initially going to be the last chapter, but I decided I've kept you waiting long enough XD I apologize for not updating for 6,000 years. I've been working on other stuff that's why. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. NEXT chapter will the last. Please do leave a review. Thanks and God bless! ^^**


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